Healthcare Associated Infections

The national goal is to prevent, reduce, and ultimately eliminate healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). South Dakota is actively engaged, with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in working to address the issue of HAI prevention.

Overview

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HAIs are infections that patients get while receiving treatment for medical or surgical conditions. They are among the leading causes of preventable deaths in the U.S. and are associated with a substantial increase in health care costs each year.(1) HAIs occur in all types of care settings, including:

Besides these sources of HAIs, several other sources have been identified as major contributors to HAI-related illness and deaths in the HHS Action Plan to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections. Nearly 3 out of every 4 HAIs in the acute care hospital setting result from one of following types of infection, listed in order of prevalence:

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections

Surgical site infections

Bloodstream infections

Pneumonia

HAIs are the most common complication of hospital care. (2) However, recent studies suggest that implementing existing prevention practices can lead to a 70% reduction in certain HAIs. The financial benefit of using these prevention practices is estimated to be $25.0 billion to $31.5 billion in medical cost savings